Ebola: NCDC gives update on patient’s condition, husband tests negative

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr Jide Idris, has said the condition of Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient has improved, while tests conducted on her husband have returned negative.

Idris disclosed this while briefing journalists on the Federal Government’s response to the Ebola outbreak, explaining that investigations were ongoing to establish the patient’s travel history and determine possible sources of exposure.

He said the husband had been in contact with the patient and travelled with her to various locations, but tests conducted so far had not indicated an infection.

“The husband has been with the wife. The husband is negative. They travelled together to various places, so the travel history is still unfolding to give us a clear picture,” he said.

The NCDC boss explained that investigators were examining travel documents and other relevant information to establish the patient’s movements before the infection was detected.

According to him, the patient arrived in Nigeria without symptoms, making it difficult to identify the infection immediately through routine screening.

“It was in reviewing the history that we started hearing about the case. Because she was symptomless, there was no way it could be tested at that point,” Idris said.

He added that the investigation involved reviewing the patient’s passport, travel records and other information to establish where she had travelled and when possible exposure occurred.

Idris said the process required careful verification, noting that investigators were still working to establish the sequence of events surrounding the infection.

He said Nigeria was strengthening collaboration with international partners, including health authorities in Uganda, to exchange information and support the investigation.

The NCDC director-general also disclosed that the country was reinforcing its capacity to respond to the outbreak through the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), laboratory support and continued training of healthcare workers.

He said the agency had existing stocks of protective equipment and was expecting additional supplies for distribution to healthcare facilities and states, particularly those managing suspected cases and contacts.

“We have PPE right now, we have stocks, we are getting in more, and we are prioritising for close contacts where they are very necessary,” he said.

Idris, however, cautioned that protective equipment must be appropriate for the specific duties of healthcare workers, explaining that personnel involved in case management require different levels of protection from those performing other tasks.

On laboratory capacity, he said the NCDC had identified laboratories across the country with the technical capacity to test for Ebola, while genomic sequencing was being undertaken to provide additional information about the virus.

He identified the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja and the Centre for Human and Zoonotic Virology in Lagos among the facilities with relevant diagnostic capabilities.

He said the agency was also working with other laboratories to strengthen testing and genomic sequencing, adding that not every laboratory had the required biosafety infrastructure and expertise to handle Ebola samples.

Idris explained that genomic sequencing would help determine the relationship between the virus detected in the current case and previously identified strains.

On treatment, he said the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the current outbreak did not have an approved vaccine, although vaccine candidates were undergoing clinical trials.

He added that any potential treatment must comply with established clinical and regulatory protocols rather than being introduced without the necessary evidence and approvals.

The NCDC chief also disclosed that the patient’s condition had improved compared with when she was admitted to the treatment facility.

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He urged Nigerians to avoid politicising the outbreak, stressing that the government’s priority was to protect public health, support healthcare workers and prevent further transmission.

Idris called on the public to rely on verified information from the NCDC and other authorised health agencies, while urging anyone who might have been exposed to the virus to cooperate with public health officials.

He said investigations and response activities would continue as authorities worked to establish a clearer picture of the outbreak.